[39] He finished the season with a new career-best .275 batting average, six home runs, and 40 RBIs in 111 games.
[249] His agent is Melvin Roman of MDR Sports Management, who has represented him since he signed his first professional contract with the Cardinals shortly after being drafted in 2000. Albert Pujols, who made his Cardinals debut in 2001, and Yadier Molina, who was called up in 2004, are heading into retirement after leading St. Louis to the playoffs one last time. [201] On August 24, Molina signed a one-year extension worth $10 million and announced that 2022 would be his final season. [191], For the season, he batted a slash line of .262/.303/.359, with four home runs and 16 RBIs. In a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 15, Molina picked Prince Fielder off first base as he leaned far off the bag, tipping off Molina and first baseman Albert Pujols to a hit and run the Brewers were planning. In his career to that point, he hit .319 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage in 270 career at-bats at Great American Ball Park. Regarding the injury as having a significance impact on the Cardinals' season, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Bernie Miklasz commented, "Losing the best catcher in the world for the next 8 to 12 weeks with a torn thumb ligament is a horrendous, demoralizing setback for the Cardinals.
He held on, qualifying it as a third strike.
WebYadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run in the 6th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 3, 2017 in Chicago, Yadier Molina of Puerto
[151] In December, it was revealed that Molina had a second surgery on his left thumb, pushing his return to late in 2016 spring training. As of July 2013, Molina had thrown out 45% of would-be base stealers.
For the eighth time in his career, he was an All-Star selection, as resulted in a vote by fellow players. [184] He was placed on the injured list on May 31 with a thumb tendon strain. [1] According to Baseball-Reference.com, as of 2013, that percentage ranked as the 26th highest all-time season-single caught stealing percentage. [87] An aggressive hitter, he batted .380 with seven home runs on the first pitch; his home run total on first pitches ranked seventh in the NL. [186] He had the slowest sprint speed of all National League players, at 22.8 feet/second.
[45] To that point, Molina was batting .295 with three home runs and 24 RBIs.
[206] On June 8, Molina came in to pitch again in the eighth inning of an 11-3 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. [53], Following the All-Star break on July 18, Molina's four hits and Albert Pujols' two home runs helped cap Chris Carpenter's 61 victory over the Diamondbacks, who pitched around nine runners on base in eight innings.
This could be a season-ending injury. It was actually a no-hitter through that point until Ryan Zimmerman broke it up with a high-bouncing ground ball that glanced off Wacha's glove for the Nationals' only hit of the game.
By the time Cameron charged the ball, it was too late; it fell in for a hit, and Jim Edmonds was able to score.
Molina's two older brothers, Bengie and Jos, also developed into distinguished defensive catchers with lengthy careers in Major League Baseball (MLB), and each of the three won at least one World Series championship.
Molina's father played second base as an amateur and worked as a tools technician 10 hours per day in a Westinghouse factory.
Other preparation includes handling ground balls at shortstop and third base, extending his agility for blocking pitches thrown in the dirt.
[256], Spurred by absences from autograph shows for which he was paid to appear, Steiner Sports Marketing filed a lawsuit for $175,000 against Molina in the New York state supreme court in Manhattan on October 2, 2009. [79] In Game 3, Molina accumulated four RBI, and two more each in Games 6 and 7.
He went one for four and left two runners on base.
On the very next pitch to Molina, he hit it 387 feet into the left field seats for a go-ahead grand slam.
His line-drive pull percentage of 200911 increased by about 6% in 201213; BABIP increased from .280 in 200510 to .327 in 201113 and pull weighted on-base average (wOBA)[f] has increased from .290 in 2009 to over .520 in 2013.
Molina officially retired from professional baseball Tuesday. [4] He remained hopeful that his sons would become professional baseball players.
Still hoping to prevent the runner from scoring, he instead found Ricketts in the golf cart parked on top of home plate.
[234] Molina's home run and doubles rates also increased; from 201113, he hit 104 of his 226 career doubles. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about catcher Yadier Molina on ESPN.
As a Cincinnati Reds fan, a natural disdain for Yadier Molina is nearly a rite of passage. As a hitter, Molina accrued more than 2,100 hits, 150 home runs, and 1,000 runs batted in (RBIs); he batted over .300 in five seasons.
[a], In a May 27 game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego with the Cardinals holding a 43 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Molina picked Brian Giles off first to end the game,[31] the first pickoff to end a major league game in nearly four years. [5] Molina concentrated on infield positions until about age 16, when he began to develop the familiar Molina physique: as of 2013, he stood 5'11" and weighed 220 pounds.
Molina said the opportunity could open the door to managing a team in MLB, saying that Navegantes was "something different, and Id like to try it early and see how it goes.
[154] He made his 1,500th career major league appearance on May 14 in a 53 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Instead of Molina being in a position to catch it cleanly with his glove, the ball hit the thigh.
[c][115][116], The Cardinals squared off against the Pirates in the NLDS.
It also secured the 100th win for batterymate Adam Wainwright.
They are also the only trio of brothers to play as catchers in the major leagues. Baseball Prospectus estimated in 2013 that Molina saved 35 defensive runs per season through his pitch framing and had moved 301 out-of-zone pitches that were called strikes between April 1 and June 30, 2013.
[57] He finished the season with a .293 batting average, six home runs, 54 RBIs, and a major league-leading 136 games caught, the highest franchise total since Ted Simmons' total in 1977.
[31] For the season, he caught 41% of all base-stealing attempts and picked off seven runners. From July 25 to August 7, he maintained a season-best 11-game hitting streak in which he batted .413. Yadier Molina stood a few feet away, beaming. [163], On June 26, Molina became the ninth catcher all-time to record 11,000 career putouts at the position.
[118] Molina collected more awards following the season, including his first Silver Slugger Award,[119] sixth Gold Glove, and a third-place finish in MVP voting. Capped by Molina's three-run home run, the Cardinals rallied and won 54 in the ninth. [104], For the year, Molina set new career highs in batting average (.319), doubles (44), runs scored (68), and RBIs (80).
Each of the three brothers has won at least one World Series ring, making them the only trio of brothers with such a distinction (Bengie and Jos both won their first while with the Anaheim Angels in 2002).
[18], Molina appeared in 51 regular-season games and batted .267 with two home runs and 15 RBIs in 151 plate appearances.
[69], By making the playoffs, Molina became the first catcher in franchise history to appear in five postseasons for the Cardinals. How about that? [173] On May 5, Molina exited the game after a foul tip struck him in the groin. The rookies' 36 wins were the most in franchise history since 1941.
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Molina hit a single with two outs in the ninth inning in his last at-bat, with the sellout crowd of 48,515 serenading him with a standing ovation.
He became just the ninth MLB catcher to post a season with a weighted runs created (WRC+)[b] factor of 140 and 45 percent of runners caught stealing. For the 2019 season, Molina batted .270/.312/.399 with ten home runs and 57 RBIs over 113 games.
After a 2022 season in which he recorded a career-low .535 OPS, Molina will officially close the book Even without highly developed offensive skills, Molina proved difficult to strike out.
Molina with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, Yadier Molina World Baseball Classic rosters, Defense, pitch calling, throwing and hands. He was named the catcher of 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team, his second All-WBC honor.
In 2021, Molina returned temporarily to Puerto Rico to play in the Liga de Bisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente to play as a reinforcement with the Atenienses de Manat in the semifinals. [123], "Do you want another St. Louis Cardinals catcher to star in an All Star game?
That's what happens when you're caught up in the race and trying to win. The firm stated that he ignored their agreement to make public and private appearances to sign autographs and did not return the money.
He was selected through fan vote to represent the Cardinals in the All-Star Game in St. Louis' Busch Stadium his first All-Star Game.
", Mike Matheny, when he was still the Cardinals' starting catcher, to his wife, on Molina in 2001[14], The Cardinals invited Molina to major league spring training camp following his draft.
Molina's ninth-inning, RBI double, tied the July 27 game against the New York Mets at 44, ending Jeurys Familias consecutive-saves streak of 52, the third-longest in major league history. He also had thrown out 10 of 32 baserunners (31.3%) well below his career average of 45% but an Associated Press reporter attributed the decline to an inexperienced pitching staff. [216], Puerto Rico advanced the finals again in 2017, falling to the United States 80 in earning their second consecutive silver medal, and only loss of the tournament. "[35], "During the course of games, he would do something and I'd go, 'I can't believe he did that.'
Baseball in Puerto Rico is a significant part of the island's culture. Two weeks removed from just missing a no-hitter, Wacha again nearly repeated the feat with Molina behind the plate in an elimination game, Game 4.
[43], Before the 2009 season commenced, Molina participated with Puerto Rico in his second WBC.
He bumped umpire Rob Drake in the chest multiple times and appeared to spit upon him.
Since 1957, only Mike LaValliere's 1993 figure of 72.7% was higher. [87] In a game against Pittsburgh at PNC Park on August 28, he sustained head, neck and back injuries although no concussion in a second-inning home plate collision with second baseman Josh Harrison.
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina throws to first base after fielding a bunt by Florida Marlins' Mike Mordecai in the seventh inning Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004, in Miami.
[197] However, his participation was shadowed by the poor performance of the team,[198] resulting in a sweeping 4-0 series with the Indios de Mayagez. He was nominated for a Gold Glove. Fellow catchers Jorge Posada and Brian McCann stated in 2009 that Molina was "the best defensive catcher in baseball"; Vctor Martnez also called him "the best behind the plate.
"[6] In 2013, a scout pronounced Molina the "one piece the St. Louis Cardinals cannot lose" while another commented that he is "irreplaceable. [136] On November 4, Molina was announced as winning his seventh consecutive Gold Glove, tying Boone as having won the third-most Gold Gloves among catchers. [215], In a 2013 semifinal game against Japan, Molina alertly took advantage of a baserunning mistake to record an unusual putout.
[11][13], "I saw the kid that's going to steal my job.
[207], On September 14, Wainwright and Molina set another MLB record by starting alongside one another for the 325th time, surpassing Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan of the Detroit Tigers for the most starts by a battery in MLB history. Beltrn fouled off the first, but Wainwright struck him out looking at a "bender that started up and away and bit hard to the low inside corner" for the final out of the game. [4][254], Even while the Molina brothers still lived in the United States playing professional baseball, their parents stayed in the same home near the park where the brothers grew up playing ball, Jess Rivera Park. [255] Benjamn Molina organized youth teams.
St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina reacts after Texas Rangers' David Murphy flies out to end Game 7 of baseball's World Series Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, in St. Louis. But Gold Gloves, not bats, are prominently tattooed on Molinas upper left arm.
WebYadier Molina tattoo | Cool tattoos, Tattoo designs, Tattoos Explore Save Uploaded to Pinterest Yadier Molina Yadier Molina tattoo S Socrate Berroa 39 followers More
While accumulating 39 mult-hit games, the Cardinals won 27 of them. A 454 play is a scenario involving the second baseman and third baseman. His pitching debut came one week after that of teammate Albert Pujols, who also gave up four hits and two home runs in the ninth inning. [54] On August 15, Molina picked off San Diego's Kevin Kouzmanoff at first on the way to a 74 victory, the 33rd of his career.
[33] However, the following playoffs marked a turning point in his career offensive output. Yadi needs to find out how they work. [217] In the semifinal game against the Netherlands, he picked two runners off base in one inning. [97], With increased profile coming in conjunction with his offensive breakout from the year before, Molina's popularity with fans around the game also increased.
With both Aledmys Daz and Mike Leake attempting to catch the ball, Molina posited himself and waited. Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina, who made their first start together in April 2007, made their 325th start together Wednesday to set a major league record. [131] However, he still had not fully recovered, as he batted .250 in September with a pronounced drop in power production. [212], In his first classic in 2006, Molina played four games and collected three hits in five at-bats. Steiner Sports allegedly paid him $90,640 in advance when they renewed their contract with him in July 2008.
This list contains catchers with a minimum of 200 stolen base attempts against them. [190] Molina would eventually recover from the disease.
He advanced one level in each of four seasons in the minor leagues.
[81] For the second time in his career, he won MVP consideration; he finished tied for 21st for the NL MVP balloting. [38], From May 1 to 24, Molina strung together a then-career high 15-game hitting streak, during which he batted .373. I Hate That I Love Yadier Molina. [37], Batting out of the number-five spot in the batting order for the first time in his career on Opening Day, 2007, Molina collected two hits.
A giant tattoo of the World Series
Adam Wainwright, left, and Yadier Molina sat down with reporter Katie Woo of The Athletic to rewatch their first game as starters on April 6, 2007.
[6][35][36] His mask was turned in for display at the Baseball Hall of Fame. [43] He missed the next four games.
It was just the first in a series of improbable comebacks for the Cardinals in 2011.
[14] One of his first game-winning hits occurred on August 7.
Molina was among the best in the game at throwing out base runners with pickoffs and during steal attempts. [34], In the bottom of the ninth, rookie pitcher Adam Wainwright filling in as emergency closer found himself in a two-out, bases-loaded situation against center fielder Carlos Beltrn, who had already homered three times in the NLCS. [140] Molina's first home run of the season and first in 95 games occurred against the Minnesota Twins on June 15; his previous home run dated back to June 27, 2014. [218] Also, the coaching staff often allowed him to conduct the preparation meetings, took his advice on construction of the starting rotation, and when to remove tiring pitchers. He's a human vacuum behind the plate. He served a five-game suspension handed down by MLB for "making contact with umpire Rob Drake multiple times and spraying him with spit twice while arguing. He batted .333 and set a team World Series record with nine RBIs.
What do they mean? Molina threw out pinch runner Josh Harrison attempting to steal second base in the eighth inning to help the Cardinals preserve a 21 lead.
A fidgeter with his batting stance early in his career, Molina mimicked and vacillated between more accomplished hitters such as Andrs Galarraga and Albert Pujols.
The product of a baseball family, Molina was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. His father was an amateur second baseman and the all-time hits leader in Puerto Rican baseball, and his two older brothers, Bengie and Jos, also developed into standout defensive catchers with lengthy MLB careers.
[228], "You don't ever have to worry about bouncing a ball to Yadier. The Cardinals overcame losing key pitchers Chris Carpenter, Jason Motte, and Jaime Garca among others early in the season by substituting twelve rookie pitchers en route to winning a competitive NL Central division title over the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds (each team finished with at least 90 wins).
[69] On November 1, Molina won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award,[80] becoming just the fifth catcher on a pennant-winning club to lead his position in OPS+ in his league while winning a Gold Glove. [158] His tenth-inning double against Milwaukee on August 30, his 30th of the season and 300th of his career, helped lead the Cardinals to a 21 victory.
Mainly a singles hitter who favored hitting the ball the other way, he batted .278 with 14 home runs and 133 runs batted in (RBIs) with 118 strikeouts in 1,044 at-bats in four minor league seasons.
On September 4, 2008, they had a son; on July 4, 2010, a daughter; and on February 6, 2016, another son. [43] On September 2, he and Felipe Lpez hit consecutive home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks en route to an 82 victory.
[14], Panning Molina's performance National League-wide, he ranked fourth in batting average,[1] tenth in on-base percentage, 14th in slugging percentage and tied for 18th with 46 multihit games.
For some, like me, this disdain reached a monumental level in August of 2010 when Molina confronted Reds second baseman, Brandon Phillips, sparking a confrontation that set off a baseball brawl for the ages.
Molina appeared in 51 regular-season games and batted .267 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 151 plate appearances. He made an immediate impact with his arm, throwing out more than 50% percent of would-be basestealers (nine of 17).
However, his posted a career-low 29% caught-stealing percentage. During a game against the Cincinnati Reds on August 10, as second baseman Brandon Phillips came to bat, he exchanged words with Molina that escalated to a bench-clearing confrontation, although no one was ejected.
[1][105][106], Molina was also noted for his handling of the pitching staff.
In the mound appearance, Molina collected his first career pitching strikeout, punching out Rays infielder Isaac Paredes.
Yadier is a Hebrew name meaning Mutilates his own neck. Molina is generally regarded as the best defensive catcher in baseball, although it is unclear He led all NL catchers in at-bats (465) and stolen bases (eight), and his 122 hits ranked second, just behind Brian McCann's 123.
[42] He started the season with an Opening Day home run and seven-game hitting streak.
[5] The Tigres' first baseman, Lus Rosario, was the one who recommended him to the organization. [1], Molina resides in Vega Alta and stayed in Caseyville, Illinois, during the baseball season until 2015.
Widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers of all time for both his blocking ability and his caught-stealing percentage, Molina won nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and six Fielding Bible Awards.
[146] In the annual Baseball America Toolbox Awards, managers and coaches around the National League rated Molina as both the "Best hit and run artist" and "Best defensive catcher" in the NL. [1] He threw out 50% (23 of 46) baserunners attempting to steal, the highest percentage in the majors. [257], After Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, Molina and Wanda started a GoFundMe page for the victims on September 21 with a goal of $1 million. [14] At one point in that extended spring training, instructor Dave Ricketts observed Molina from a golf cart during a game as he was still learning how to catch; he had been transitioning from third base.
Starting in the top of the ninth, he batted with a 11 score.
Molina made the team after a single workout and immediately became the starting catcher.
He set new career highs in multiple offensive categories, including a .315 batting average, 22 home runs, 76 RBI, 65 runs scored, .373 OBP, .501 slugging percentage and 12 stolen bases.
During that streak, he collected 17 hits in 47 at-bats for a .362 batting average.
[170] He passed Bench for two milestones early in the season: for 13th place in major league history in innings caught with 14,494+13 on April 14 while playing the Cincinnati Reds,[171] and 16th in games caught versus with 1,743 on May 2 versus the Chicago White Sox. [91], The 2012 season was one of Molina's crowning achievements as a hitter, especially considering early professional scouting reports did not forecast his bat being much of a factor in the major leagues.
He hit into 27 double plays in 2009, but in 2012 reduced that figure to 10. He finished tied for 23rd with Miguel Tejada with one percent of the vote share.
[63] After the All-Star break, his hitting improved, as he stroked 63 hits in 200 at bats for .315 batting average.
But at the same time, they tend to just follow him. [180] He had the highest fielding percentage among major league catchers, at .998.
[178], Batting .279 with 13 home runs, Molina was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game to replace the injured Buster Posey.
[60] On April 17, he caught all 20 innings of a game against the Mets.
He then chased Uchikawa, cornered him by positioning himself between first and second and tagged out Uchikawa an unassisted caught stealing.
[149] Molina won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award[150] and fourth Platinum Glove Award in 2015.